Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

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Utah, May 16: Utah Department of Health that nine cases of Campylobacter and six cases of Salmonella gastroenteritis have been linked to two dairies in the state.

Silver Spring, MD. May 17: FDA reports that it is conducting a company-wide investigation of McNeil Consumer Healthcare's drug manufacturing practices. The investigation follows on the heels of a series of recalls of McNeil OTC drugs that were manufactured in Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania. FDA also has begun a review of adverse complaint reports submitted to the agency in order to determine whether any of these reports are connected to the recalled products. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing into the McNeil recalls on May 27th.

Roseburg, OR. May 17: Cross-contamination has been officially blamed for an outbreak of salmonellosis last month that sickened 30 patrons of the Los Dos Amigos restaurant in downtown Roseburg.

Baton Rouge, LA. May 17: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has reopened oyster areas 19 and 21 to commercial harvesting.

Charleston, WV. May 17: The West Virginia Department of Agriculture reminds parents to ensure that children was their hands immediately after visiting a petting zoo. If there are no hand-washing facilities at the petting zoo, children should not be permitted to touch the animals.

Canada

Ottawa, ON. May 17:Health Canada warns consumers that the agency continues to find high levels of lead in children's jewellery products. Cadmium, which is also toxic, is increasingly being used as a substitute for lead. Health Canada advises consumers to discard any children's jewellery item that is suspected to contain lead or cadmium.

Europe

Southampton, UK. May 17:Princess Cruises reports that 57 passengers on the Grand Princess have now fallen ill with Norovirus gastroenteritis while on a 14-day Mediterranean cruise.

Madrid, Spain. May 18: Atlético de Madrid footballer Mariano Pernia was left behind as his team traveled to Barcelona to meet Sevilla in the final of the Copa del Rey. Pernia is suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Kirewa, Uganda. May 17: A cholera outbreak that has killed two people and hospitalized three others has been confirmed in this village in the Tororo district.

Australia and New Zealand

Queensland, Australia. May 17: A "Boil Water" order has been issued for households served by the Behana Creek water supply, south of Cairns after Cryptosporidium was detected in the water supply during routine testing. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 households are affected.

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. May 18: Cholera has been confirmed in and around Port Moresby, with 573 suspected cases reported and seven deaths. The Australian government has donated funds to help fight the epidemic.